Mark Wu ’96, who has been appointed assistant professor at Harvard Law School, will bring his expertise in international economic and trade law with a focus on East Asia.

“Mark stands out because of his superb expertise, creativity, and extraordinary knowledge of Japan, China and India,” said Law School Dean Martha L. Minow in a press release.

“His special knowledge of intellectual property and protection in the borderless world of the digital space will significantly advance the exciting work by faculty and students here,” she added.

Previously, Wu held a two-year fellowship at Columbia Law School and co-authored “The Law of the World Trade Organization.”

Wu said that he is excited to join the faculty because he feels that “Harvard is one of the leaders in pioneering international law for its students.”

According to Law School professor William P. Alford, student interest in international law, and East Asia in particular, has risen dramatically in recent years.

Though the Law School has emphasized international law since its founding, it has in recent years increased its course offerings in international law and required students to take an international law course in their first year, according to Alford.

Both Alford and Wu have a specialized interest in China, and Alford said that he is looking forward to welcoming a colleague with similar interests to the faculty.

“It will be good to have someone else with complementary expertise,” Alford said. “[Wu] is a valuable resource.”

Though Wu’s teaching schedule has not been confirmed, he said he will most likely be teaching an international economic law course to second- and third-year law students.

“I am very excited to become a member of a community that has such a rich collection of dynamic and talented individuals in one place,” Wu said.

Wu said he is also excited to move his family to Cambridge and to give his two children access to opportunities at Harvard and around Boston.

Wu, who concentrated in Social Studies and East Asian Studies at Harvard, was one of the founders of the Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations. He was a resident of the Currier House “ten-man” suite.

As an undergraduate, Wu said he was unsure about his professional goals, but his experiences at Harvard sparked an interest in international affairs.

“Harvard undergrad was key in exposing me to international economic issues and how countries other than the U.S. behave and participate in the global order,” he said.

—Staff writer Zoe A. Y. Weinberg can be reached at zoe.weinberg@college.harvard.edu.